Here are some questions which can be used for students as a homework assignment or this podcast can be done in class as an extra listening activity. The podcast is 12-minutes long and is from an NPR program called Shortwave. You can get the podcast here: Short Wave, which is excellent because the podcast includes a transcript for students who might be struggling to improve their listening. The transcript is a wonderful way to help struggling students whose listening skill isn’t as good yet.

The answers can be found below

Click here for the transcript!

Questions for the podcast:

1. What invasive species did they talk about in the beginning?
2. When talking about the Lionfish:
   1. What color is it? Can you eat it?
   2. Where does it live?
   3. How did it get to Florida?
   4. Why is it a problem and how do they plan to kill it?
3. When talking about the Burmese Python:
   1. How did it get to the everglades?
   2. Why is the python a problem?
   3. Is it easy to kill? Why?
4. When talking about the Tamarisk Tree:
   1. Why is it a problem?
   2. What was the scientist’s solution?
   3. Did it work? How?

Extra Discussion Questions:

1. Can you think of any other invasive species?
2. Have you ever been to the Florida Everglades? Would you like to? Why?
3. Do you think it’s a promising idea to kill the invasive species?
4. They say the Lionfish is delicious. Would you like to try it? Why?
5. What are the most popular animals or natural parks to see in your country? Why?

Answers to the podcast:

1. They talked about:
   1. Cane toads in Australia,
   2. Zebra mussels in Nevada – Lake Mead
   3. Stowaway bivalves native to Russia
   4. Asian carp
   5. Brazilian pepper trees
   6. Hemlock woolly adelgids.
2. When talking about the Lion-fish:
   • What color is it? Can you eat it?
     • It’s kind of a sort of this reddish brown (orange-y) and apparently it’s delicious.
   • Where does it live?
     • It normally lives in coastal areas in the Indian Ocean or along sort of the Southeast Asian coast. Somehow, it got to North Carolina and Florida
   • How did it get to Florida?
     • The speculation is people had it in an aquarium and, like, dumped it in the ocean.
   • Why is it a problem and how do they plan to kill it?
     • It’s eating all kinds of native fish. It’s got an incredible appetite. People plan to organize hunting parties to control its number.
3. When talking about the Burmese Python:
   • How did it get to the everglades?
     • There’s the suggestion that Hurricane Andrew hit a breeding facility
       for Burmese pythons in ’92, releasing a bunch of animals. Another
       theory is people keep them as pets but release them when they can’t
       take care of them.
   • Why is the python a problem?
     • It’s almost impossible to see due to it being quite sneaky and they’re a
       problem because they eat everything in its habitat.
   • Is it easy to kill? Why?
     • They’re super hard to kill cause they’re stealthy and a bunch of
       agencies are working together to try and kill them.
4. When talking about the Tamarisk Tree:
   • Why is it a problem?
     • They are very flammable and cause forest fires. They also drink up a lot of
       water.
   • What was the scientist’s solution?
     • They got Tamarisk beetles in from Asia to eat them.
   • Did it work? How?
     • Yes, they balance the trees out.

Downloadable questions and answers to the podcast:

That’s everything, feel free to have a look around at all the other resources here!